To avoid the 60 millivolt (mV) per decade sub-threshold slope limit, carriers within a field-effect transistor (FET) must not go over the P/N junction barrier. Band-to-band (BTB) tunneling that occurs in TFETs is not subjected to this limit because the carriers do not flow over a potential barrier. Rather, the carriers tunnel through the barrier. However, TFETs suffer from low drive current as a result of poor tunneling efficiency.
A need therefore exists for a method of providing improved tunneling efficiency in TFETs, and the resulting device.